KEVIN OR JALAI, WHO WILL TAKE THE GONG?

Robson Sharuko

Metros Editor

LAST month, we picked Kevin Moyo as our Soccer Star of the Year.

We announced our pick for the most prestigious individual award, in the domestic Premiership, on the day the selectors – journalists, coaches and captains – converged in Harare to select the outstanding players.

We felt that Moyo, the only player in the Scottland team to play all 34 league matches as the Mabvuku side powered to an historic league title, was the outstanding player in the PSL.

Moyo was the heart and soul of the Scotts defence which conceded the joint least number of goals, 20, during the championship race.

FC Platinum also finished the campaign having conceded just 20 goals.

Moyo transformed himself into the rock on which the Scotts built their defence which was the key factor in driving them to the championship.

While all the focus appeared to have been on their star-studded attack, which had the likes of Khama Billiat, Walter and Knowledge Musona and Tymon Machope, it was the defence which made the difference for the Scotts in their successful campaign.

Machope, who was named as one of the eleven Soccer Stars of the Year, was the spearhead of the Scottland attack with his 16 league goals, one shy of the 17 which gave Washington Navaya the Golden Boot.

Scottland ended with the best strikeforce in the league with 47 goals but with Machope scoring 16, it becomes clear that this was not a one-man demolition job.

This is where the importance of their defence becomes clear and why we felt that Moyo was the Soccer Star of the Year.

The Soccer Star of the Year award has traditionally been won by the best player from the club which wins the league championship.

However, that is not cast in stone and a number of players have won the award even in the seasons when their clubs were not crowned champions.

Joel Ngodzo won the Soccer Star of the Year award in 2019 even though CAPS United did not win the championship.

Dennis Dauda, Clemence Matawu, Evans Chikwaikwai, Energy Murambadoro and Maxwell Dube all won the award in the seasons their clubs were not crowned champions.

This means the winner could be Emmanuel Jalai and, if that is the case, it would be worthy recognition of the spirited efforts of a man who was the heart and soul of the Glamour Boys’ successful bid for survival.

The last Dynamos player to be crowned Soccer Star of the Year was Tawanda Muparati in 2013.

The immortal George Shaya, who won the award a record-breaking FIVE times, was the inaugural winner in 1969.

Tonight’s winner will be the 29th Soccer Star of the Year to be honoured since the PSL transformed itself from the Super League in 1993.

Agent Sawu won the Soccer Star of the Year that season. Tonight’s winner will be the 54th Soccer Star of the Year.

Highlanders have not provided a Soccer Star of the Year since Dazzy Kapenya won the award in 2002.

Twenty years have passed since Joseph Kamwendo made history as the only foreigner to win the award. Another Malawian, ‘keeper William Thole, is in the running to repeat that feat tonight.